Issue 40 2010

Norman & Burt of Burgess Hill Shipbuilding at West Itchenor Warehouse at No. 4 Winding Street, Hastings Midhurst North Mill Turnpikes to Steyning, Henfield and Shoreham ISSUE 40 Price £4.25 2010 Sussex Industrial History No. 40 • 2010 Journal of the Sussex Industrial Archaeology Society FORTY 2010 CONTENTS Page NORMAN & BURT OF BURGESS HILL— Local Builders of Renown Frederic M. Avery 2 SHIPBUILDING AT WEST ITCHENOR Philip McDougall 7 WAREHOUSE BUILDING AT No. 4 WINDING STREET, HASTINGS Ron Martin 11 THE NINETEENTH CENTURY RECONSTRUCTION OF MIDHURST NORTH MILL Alan H. J. Green 19 TURNPIKES TO STEYNING, HENFIELD AND SHOREHAM Brian Austen 24 Publications 40 Cover illustration—Old Shoreham Toll Bridge c.1905 (Marlipins Museum, Shoreham‐by‐Sea) Edited by Dr. Brian Austen, 1 Mercedes Cottages, St. John’s Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH16 4EH (tel. 01444 413845, email [email protected]). Design and layout by Alan Durden. The Editor would be interested to hear from prospective contributors of articles of any length. Shorter notices can be included in the Society’s Newsletter which is issued four times a year. The annual subscription to the Sussex Industrial Archaeology Society is £10 payable on 1 April. Life membership is available at fifteen times the annual subscription. Members are entitled to copies of the Sussex Industrial History and the Newsletters without further charge. Membership enquiries to the Hon. Secretary, R.G. Martin, 42 Falmer Avenue, Saltdean, Brighton BN2 8FG (tel. 01273 271330, email [email protected]). Website: www.sussexias.co.uk ISSN 0263 5151 © SIAS on behalf of the contributors 1 Sussex Industrial History No. 40 • 2010 NORMAN & BURT OF BURGESS Simeon’s grandparents, Richard and Elizabeth HILL—Local Builders of Renown Norman, built the family fortunes at the Chailey brick, tile and pottery works which they inherited in Frederic M. Avery 1792, but started in the trade earlier in Burgess Hill about 1735. Simeon’s father, William, continued the works which passed to his older sons Richard and The Birth and Growth of the Firm Nathan. Simeon learnt his trade there as a carpenter In 1862 Simeon Norman (Fig. 1) started a building journeyman. In 1856 Simeon married Catherine business in Burgess Hill from premises in London Burt, daughter of Henry and Elizabeth Burt of Road just south of the “Brewer’s Arms” public house Ditchling. The factor that influenced Simeon to (Fig. 3). He was the youngest of eleven children and establish his business may have been the building of his father was William Norman of Chailey whose the parish church of St. John the Evangelist, Burgess first wife was Mary Avery (1780‐1815), of Fowles Hill which by 1861 was under construction by Farm, St. John’s Common in Clayton parish. They builder John Ellis of Chichester. The following year had three children before Mary died at the young he established his local building business to fill a age of 35. William’s second marriage was to Barbara perceived “gap in the market”. In 1864, Simeon Leaney (1796‐1867) and they had one daughter and invited his young brother‐in‐law, Henry Burt (1850‐ seven sons, the youngest being Simeon, founder of 1922), then aged fourteen, to join the firm and later the business, who was born on 3 December 1833. he became a partner in the business (Fig. 2). Fig.1 Simeon Norman (1833‐ 1890), founder of the business Fig.2 Henry Burt (1850‐1922), brother‐in‐law and partner of Simeon Norman Fig.3 Works in London Road, Burgess Hill, identified as 211 on the 1874 O.S. map 2 Sussex Industrial History No. 40 • 2010 The Burgess Hill Gas Company was formed in 1866 and the contract for the buildings on the site was awarded to Simeon Norman. In later life Simeon became the Honorary Secretary of the Gas Company and later the Water Company also. Simeon was involved with several local undertakings and he was a keen archaeologist, artist and photographer, the first in Burgess Hill, who taught the latter two subjects at Madame Emily Temple’s Institute, formerly St. John’s Institute and now known as the “Park Centre”. This building was probably the first Fig.5 Stonemasons’ Yard on the western side of London major contract undertaken by Simeon and was Road completed in 1873. Two years later, the Strict Baptist Chapel, Park Road, (where Magnus Volk was business with Henry Burt. The firm now had a married) was built by Simeon, followed in 1882 by masonry works, a blacksmith’s shop, carpentry and the Congregational Church, now known as All joinery workshops, undertook painting and Saints United Reformed Church, Junction Road (Fig. decorating and even traded as a funeral director 4). All three of these buildings of distinction still (Fig. 5). It comprised the largest building firm in the stand witness to his exceptional ability. district. The premises eventually expanded to the eastern side of London Road, formerly part of Norman’s pottery works (Fig. 6). Fig.4 Congregational Church, now All Saints Church Fig.6 Blacksmiths and paint stores on the eastern side of (URC), in Junction Road, Burgess Hill London Road When Simeon died on 21 February 1890 at the age of In the mid 1890s Simeon Henry built a family house 56, he was buried in St. John’s churchyard. No for himself called “Latchetts” in Church Road, next fewer than 2,000 mourners, including 100 of his to the former Baptist Chapel, where Peacock’s store employees, attended his funeral , which was a fitting stands today. His house was constructed by some of tribute to such a prominent and respected person. A the very best local craftsmen, using good quality decorated carved oak pulpit was dedicated to his materials. Even some of the furniture was produced memory in 1891. Catherine, his widow, died at the at the works in London Road and the ornaments, age of 58 in 1893, leaving six daughters and three together with a grandfather clock, were also crafted sons. there. The rear of the house overlooked a large lawn on two levels, connected by brick steps. A fairly Into the Twentieth Century good photographic record of the house and its After Simeon’s death Henry Burt was able to interior exists, thanks to Simeon Henry’s son Simeon continue the business with Simeon Henry Norman John Norman. He took photographs long before the (Simeon’s eldest son) until Henry retired. In 1894 house was demolished in 1970 to make way for the the firm was registered as Norman & Burt Ltd. development of Burgess Hill’s new town centre, Simeon Henry Norman (1863‐1934) was later joined completed in 1972. During the 1930s Simeon John by his two younger brothers, Francis William (1873‐ had authorised Norman & Burt to build a large 1952) and Cecil Thomas (1876‐1952), who ran the detached house in Silverdale Road for himself, 3 Sussex Industrial History No. 40 • 2010 named “Little Latchets”, which still stands as a Lichfield, Rochester and Southwark Cathedrals, lasting monument to quality. Strangers Hall, Norwich, Chelsea Old Church, St. Giles Cripplegate, Herstmonceux Castle and In 1909 Henry Burt became Chairman of the Burgess Sandringham Church. Also in the archive there is a Hill Urban District Council and planted trees in the record of the firm’s work in the effigies carved for London Road to commemorate his term of office. the south front of Chichester Cathedral, above a The logo which the Burgess Hill Local History window in the cloisters. Society uses came from a plaque above the door of his house, known as “Sandown Villa” in London They also carried out significant work abroad. This Road. He died in 1922 and was buried in St. included the New English Church in Delhi, the Andrew’s churchyard with his wife Mary, who had University Mission Church, Calcutta, church work died four years earlier. Henry’s son, Henry Samuel in Mexico City for Lord Cowdray and St. Mark’s Burt who married Nora Lawrence Berry, also Church, Philadelphia. became a director of the firm but sadly died soon Norman & Burt’s work at Temple Newsam, Leeds after his father at the young age of 41 in 1923. Henry deserves a special mention. A replacement oak Samuel and Nora lived in a large mock Tudor house staircase designed by the architect Charles Emar in Gloucester Road, built by Norman & Burt, given Kempe (of Old Place, Lindfield) was made by to them as a wedding present by the other directors Norman & Burt and installed at Temple Newsam in 1908. (Fig. 7). This was a Tudor house (the birthplace of After Simeon Henry Norman died in 1934 two of his Henry, Lord Darnley) with extensive improvements sons, Simeon John and Cecil Roberts became in the Victorian period when it was owned by the directors of the firm. Cecil Roberts, also known as Hon. Mrs Emily Charlotte Meynell Ingram and her “Bob” or “Bobs” Norman started his own business niece, Lady Mary Meynell. Work was designed by as a builder and decorator with offices situated at the architects Geoffrey Bodley, Edwin Lutyens, Mill Road, Burgess Hill. One of his major contracts Charles Emar Kempe and Walter Tower (partners). in 1951 was the retiling of St. John’s Church steeple, The improvements involved building a new western which took several months to complete. end to the house with a dining room and staircase which improved the proportions of the property. In Demand at Home and Abroad Norman & Burt had previously made an oak staircase for the Earl of Portsmouth at Hurstbourne The relentless expansion of Burgess Hill in the early Park, Hampshire, and the one at Temple Newsam, twentieth century brought a steady flow of work for constructed on site in sections, was made in the Norman & Burt.

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